SÜLZLE is once again a ‘Best Managed Company’

On 12 May 2022, the SÜLZLE Group was presented with the ‘Best Managed Companies Award’ in Düsseldorf. For 142 years, sustainable action and economic success have been inextricably linked for the family-run group of companies. However, the Rosenfelds are not in the mood to celebrate: ‘Especially in these difficult times, with inhumane wars such as the one in Ukraine and their enormous impact, it is once again clear how relevant a value-oriented, partnership-based and sustainable corporate philosophy is,’ says Andreas Sülzle, managing partner of the SÜLZLE Group.

‘The consequences of the war, the global coronavirus pandemic and climate change have heralded a global turning point. The drastic price increases and supply chain bottlenecks in the energy and raw materials markets will also present us with unprecedented challenges,’ adds Heinrich Sülzle, who runs the Rosenfeld-based company together with his brother Andreas in the fourth generation. However, the managing directors remain optimistic and are sticking to their core principles of honesty, an open and positive attitude and, above all, the courage to embrace change. ‘Our employees, suppliers and partners form the backbone of our group of companies and help shape our direction every day, even in turbulent times,’ Sülzle continues.

Triad of ecological, economic and social values

The company’s development can also be described as extremely sustainable: SÜLZLE has grown steadily over several generations through investment and innovation. In addition to economic thinking and action, ecological and social commitment characterise the sustainable success of this medium-sized family business. Under the leadership of the current shareholders, a strong group of companies has emerged since the turn of the millennium, bringing together ‘steel, energy and ideas’ in a symbiosis. Around 1,000 employees work in nine divisions in steel trading, steel and plant construction, and building and environmental technology at 29 locations in Germany and France.

Since October 2021, all operational divisions of the group have been climate-neutral. SÜLZLE Stahlpartner is also the first reinforcing steel distributor in Germany to offer its customers the option of purchasing ‘green steel’. To offset previously unavoidable CO2 emissions from steel, customers can purchase high-quality climate protection certificates and, when purchasing CO2-neutral steel, have their support for global projects and the associated climate neutrality for the reinforcing steel purchased certified by a certificate.

Participation in future markets

The SÜLZLE Group invests in young start-up companies committed to future-oriented topics: ARCUS Greencycling Technologies GmbH and Amodes GmbH aim to revolutionise the markets in the field of raw material recovery and environmentally friendly water desludging. And with the ‘Green Innovation Park’, an extraordinary flagship project is being created south of Stuttgart on the initiative of the Sülzle family. The new innovation campus is to be built in two construction phases by 2030 on an area of around 80,000 m² and will become the central address for national and international companies, start-ups and scale-ups from the fields of energy, construction, ecology and digitalisation, who will work together there on sustainable innovations. A pioneering project for the future, by and for people.

‘Strategic foresight and responsible action are core qualities of a best-managed company such as the SÜLZLE Group. These qualities are prerequisites for a strong economy. To promote them, the award winners have access to a global ecosystem of excellently managed medium-sized companies from more than 40 countries,’ emphasises Lutz Meyer, partner at Deloitte Private.